Mermaid's Curse
by xKyuketsuki
Summary: Two immortal lovers travel across Japan in serch for a way to return to mortality...
1. Lost but Found

****

Disclaimer: This story is in no way mine. The basic outline is by Rumiko Takahashi (Yes, the one who wrote Ranma ½, Inu-Yasha and Maison Ikkoku). I merely took the gundam boys and stuck them in it. I have added a few things but not much. If you would like the original then read "Mermaid's Scar" by Rumiko Takahashi.

Oh, and since a lot of my friends found this story confusing they would like me to tell you that time jump numbers 6, 8, 10 and the last one are flashbacks. Also says so in the little "~~~~~~~~~~" thing so you aren't confused and don't have to count.

Almost forgot! I made Heero taller than Duo…just works better that way.

Thanx for understanding!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Mermaid's Curse

Heero walked down the street. His eyes firm and set on his destination.

"We're visiting a stupid grave?" Duo asked looking up at his stiff companion.

Heero nodded. "But I'm not so sure," he said softly. "There is one to visit."

"Who's?" he inquired out of idle curiosity.

Heero shook his head. "That is not important."

Duo heaved a sigh as the two of them entered the police station.

"Are there any prewar graves for Raroni Village?" Heero asked hopefully, laying a hand on the countertop.

"Well," the man said scratching the back of his head. He dug out some papers. "Raroni Village, huh?"

Heero nodded affirmatively.

"There aren't any villages left around but..," the man trailed off. "Ah! I think this is it!" He stood and waved his hand. "Here, let me show you." He walked out to the door and pointed as Heero and Duo followed. "Do you see the hill with the apartment building on top?"

Heero nodded.

"Right below that is the only prewar graveyard that's still around."

Heero nodded again and headed in that direction.

Duo started after him but turned around. 'Thanks!" he called back to the officer.

The man tipped his hat and headed back inside.

Duo smiled and ran to catch up with Heero.

"Jesus," Heero swore as he neared the tombs. "The only thing that hasn't changed around here are these damned noisy birds."

Duo sighed as the gulls screeched to their delight. "It's all right, I guess," he said.

Heero glared at him and stopped at the graveyard. He pulled out some incense from his pack as Duo looked out beyond the nearby cliff. He set down the jar on the Winner Family Memorial Stone and lit the solid fragrance. "I shouldn't be surprised," he told himself. "After all, it's been sixty years." The words echoed in his mind, 'Take me with you. Promise.'

Duo turned around and kneeled beside his companion. "Heero, who's grave is it?" he asked.

Heero looked over to the longhaired boy and then back to the tomb. "It's the grave of a man," he said softly. "A man named Quatre."

"Quatre..," Duo trailed off.

"A long time ago,' Heero started out. "I lived in this area for a while." He looked at the carved stone sadly. "He was very kind to me while I was here. He was sweet and he was cute." Heero ran his fingers just beyond the lettering. "This must be boring for you," he said sadly.

Duo returned from his daydream. "Yes, it is," he replied curtly. He swiftly got up and took off.

"Hey, Duo!" Heero called after him.

"I'm going to walk around a bit," he replied swiftly.

"Don't go too far," Heero warned.

Duo waved his hand indicating he'd be all right.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Duo wondered into the construction site by the graveyard. He laid low and watched what played out before him.

A man in black grabbed a blonde boy. "You're a real pain in the ass, you know that?" he shouted as he turned the boy to face him. "Run away like that again and I'll kill you!" The man smacked him across the face hard. He did it again and again.

The boy sat there and took it with no protests. His face slid whichever way the blow came.

Duo couldn't take it anymore. Swiftly he ran from his hiding place and grabbed the man around the waist. "Stop it!" he yelled pulling his away from the boy.

The man turned his attention to Duo. "Who the hell are you?" he demanded as he smacked Duo just as he had the blonde one.

Above the gulls screeched and cried, circling the area.

The boy fell to his knees and covered his ears, shaking.

"Get lost, brat,' the man ordered smacking Duo once more.

Something came down in a blur swiftly and there as a thunk as the man fell lip in Duo's arms, blood dribbling down his head.

Duo let the man flump to the ground as he looked to the one responsible.

There, not two feet away stood the boy, a bloody rock in his hands. "Are you all right?" asked the blonde, his bright blue eyes looking at Duo.

'Yes," Duo said nodding. "But this man is dead." As the words were said a car pulled up beside the two boys.

"Master!" a man called exiting the black vehicle. Another brutish looking man garbed in black followed him.

The boy turned his head in their direction.

Duo turned to see as well.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Duo!" Heero yelled walking down the street. "Duo!" He stopped and looked down the other side of the road. "He's probably off playing somewhere."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Rest in peace, kid," said the skinnier man. "You were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's nothing personal." He looked into the hole they had dug. "That should be good enough," he observed and the two of them threw Duo's limp and lifeless body in the pit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The blonde boy stood at the window, hands up against the glass. He stared endlessly at something just beyond.

'"Quatre, don't let it bother you," came the voice of the old man in the living room. "There's nothing I won't do to keep you from harm." He rested his chin on his hands that held his cane. He sat watching Quatre intensely with his emerald eyes. "So plead, please don't go outside.'

The blonde looked up into the sky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It was already night and Heero still hadn't found Duo. He was at a loss. "Duo-o-o-o-o!" he tried again but no one answered. Heero dropped his pack, panting. "Damn! Where can he be?"

"You there!" called somebody shining a flashlight in his face. "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for somebody," Heero told the truth raising his hand to block the light.

The oriental man looked at him a moment. "Heero?"

"Wha-?"

~~~~~Flashback~~~~~

"They say you're looking for a mermaid," said the blonde looking up at him. He giggled. "What are you going to do once you find one? They say that if you eat the flesh of a mermaid you'll live forever. Do you really want to live that long?"

Heero looked to him. "Just the reverse."

The boy looked at him contently., his bright blue eyes gazing upwards to his.

"I'm looking for a mermaid so I can return to normal," he said. "But you probably don't believe me, do you?"

"Oh but I do believe you," he protested

Heero nodded his head, not really believing him.

"As it happens." The blonde turned to leave. "I know a little about mermaids myself."

"What?" Heero asked abandoning his work. "Hey!"

"I won't tell you now," he said as he walked away. "Hmmmm…when I'm ready I'll have Wufei come for you. He's the child of one of our servants. He's a good boy and knows how to keep a secret."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Heero sat in a doorway of the man's apartment. "You're that little kid?" he asked.

"I have to make sure that you really are that Heero," Wufei said as he pulled out a knife. "The one that ate the mermaid's flesh." He pointed the blade in the brunet's face. "Cut yourself."

"Are you serious? Why should I-" Heero was cut short.

"Please."

Heero glared at Wufei as he grabbed the knife from him. "Do I look like a sideshow act?" he inquired as she ran the blade along his arm. "See?" He lifted the already healing wound to the old man.

"The cut's healing," Wufei gasped. "You're really him." He sat down in a chair and looked at his old friend. "Heero, I want you to answer a question."

He nodded.

"Sixty years ago, did you take Master Quatre and run away?" he inquired.

"Wha-what are you talking about?" Heero demanded. 'Take me with you,' the words echoed in his mind. 'Promise…'

~~~~~Flashback~~~~~

"I can't take you, Quatre," Heero protested as he looked to the door of the shack. "I'm not a normal human and besides you already have-"

"Quatre! Quatre!" a voiced interrupted Heero from outside.

"You already have Trowa," finished as Quatre clung to him and he wrapped his arms around the soft blonde.

"Yes, and he's very sweet, too," Quatre said. "But that's all. I wish I could live forever, too." He rested his head on Heero's chest. "I want to go with you, Heero."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"But, Wufei," Heero protested looking at the man sternly. "You saw me off yourself."

The oriental man shifted uncomfortably.

~~~~~Flashback~~~~~

"Thanks for everything, Wufei," Heero said as he turned to leave.

"Heero!" the boy called after him. "Aren't you going to take Master Quatre with you?"

He turned back to him.

"He said he'd be waiting for you in Red Valley."

Heero began to walk off. "I can't take him with me. You understand don't you?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"A few years later," Heero continued the story. "When I happened to pass through this aria, I heard that he had died."

Wufei looked at his square in the eye. "What would you say if I told you Master Quatre was still alive?"

"What?" Heero asked abashed.

"The day you left the village Master Quatre disappeared too, without a trace," Wufei said. "The whole village was in an uproar. They were saying that you and Master Quatre had run away together, but Trowa would not have it. The whole village searched for him. They looked everywhere they possibly could. They concluded that he must have been spirited off. They had a funeral without a body but that same Master Quatre is alive today, looking exactly as he had sixty years ago."

Heero looked at the old man in disbelief. "Wha-?"

"That's master Quatre all right," Wufei continued. "In body at least."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quatre walked out into the night, the breeze ruffling his hair.

"Master Quatre!" someone called from behind. "Where are you going?"

The blonde found himself where he had been earlier that day as a hand touched his shoulder.

"Come now," said it's owner. "I'll take you back to your room."

A sound was heard to his right and Quatre turned to see the source of the noise.

The ground rumbled and out from the earth crawled the longhaired boy who had helped him earlier.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Trowa looked up from his paper to his servant. "Who is this filthy boy?" he asked.

"Um..," the lackey started as he tried to control the violet eyed boy. "Well, sir, I-"

Trowa returned to his paper.

"How dare you speak of me that way!" Duo yelled. "After _killing_ me and _burring_ me!"

"We disposed of his, sir, but-" he started but Duo quickly butted in.

"What am I?" he demanded trying to free himself. "A piece of garbage?" He turned to his captor. "Let me go! I'm going back to Heero!"

Trowa looked up swiftly. "What did you just say?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Duo had been well taken care of. They had cleaned him and his clothes. Now he sat eating with the master of the house, Trowa.

"So," Trowa began. "He's come back, has he?"

"You know Heero?" Duo asked, as he looked up, actually pausing in his eating.

"I would prefer to forget him altogether," Trowa said clenching his hand into a fist. "If Quatre had never met that man he would not be in the condition he is today."

"Quatre," Duo repeated the name. 'It's the grave of a man named Quatre,' Heero's words came calling back into his mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"What shall we do with the boy, sir?" asked Trowa's servant from behind him.

"That boy has eaten the flesh of a mermaid. He's immortal," Trowa replied. "He can only be killed by having his head chopped completely off."

"Sir?" he inquired.

"Didn't you hear me?"

"Yes, sir," the man said and left quickly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Duo walked up to the railing of the balcony and leaned against it, looking up at the boy next to him. "Your name is Quatre?" he asked. "Really?"

The boy turned to look at him. "I-I don't know," he said softly.

"You're not Quatre?" Duo looked at him sideways, rather confused.

He looked up into the skies as his bright blue eyes saddened. "I don't know."

"Boy!" someone called from behind.

"Huh?" Duo turned to who had called.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Remember this path?" Wufei inquired as they trudged through the forest terrain. "It still leads to the mansion that used to belong to Master Quatre."

Heero looked to the man oddly. "Used to?" he asked.

"There's a new owner now," he explained. "And his name is Trowa."

Heero was almost knocked over with surprise.

"He ended up marrying the only daughter of a huge family trust in Tokyo. In the boom days of the war he expanded the business and then spent decades buying up every bit of land in this aria."

"Why?" he asked as they trudged on.

"I don't know," Wufei admitted. "But I know it has something to do with Master Quatre." He went down a bit of a slant in the earth and came out near the mansion. "Anyway," he concluded. "Go and have a look at him, but don't do anything careless. With the security systems and the guards this house is like a fortress."

"Heero-o-o-o-o-o!" someone called from within the house frantically.

"Duo?" Heero called. "Duo!" He jumped over the wall and into the yard.

"No!" Wufei hissed. "You baka!"

Heero ran down along the house searching for his violet-eyed companion. "Duo! Is that you? Where are you?"

"Heero!" his voice came loud and clear as Heero saw the longhaired boy's hand shoot through the glass, shattering it into pieces and sounding off and alarm.

"Turn off the alarm!" someone yelled. "It's going to frighten Master Quatre!"

Men grabbed Heero but he easily dispatched of them. "Get out of my way!" he yelled as he kicked one squarely in the jaw. Heero looked up to see a young man with a shard of glass in his hand, raised and ready to penetrate Heero's longhaired companion. "Duo-o-o-o-o!"

The blonde boy with the shard turned, his soft blue eyes looking to Heero.

The brunet stared as the boy looked just as shocked as Heero. "Quatre?"

That moment of distraction was fatal and a hand came squarely into Heero's neck, knocking him unconscious.

~~~~~Flashback~~~~~

"I'll tell you a story," Quatre had said. "About the mermaid's ashes."

"Mermaid's ashes?" Heero asked as they walked through a field of flowers.

"They say that a long time ago," Quatre started as every story did. "A traveling nun came to this town. Our ancestors were very kind to her so in return she gave them a strange powder. The ashes of a mermaid. They say it makes plants and trees grow. Well, you know what I did?" He looked up at Heero, his blue eyes sparkling. "I took a little of the ashes from the storehouse and sprinkled them on this field of flowers. And you know what?"

Heero shook his head.

"Ever since then these flowers never wilt, even in the dead of winter. The bloom bright red all year long." Quatre looked out at the mass of color. "So this is 'Red Valley,' my secret place." He turned back to Heero. "The only ones who know about it are Wufei and you, Heero."

Red…Valley…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow! I finally got the first chapter done!!!!!! Yeah!!!!!!

Forever long, isn't it?

Next chapter is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much sorter!!!!!!!


	2. Promise to Be Kept

Same disclaimer stuff as before in chapter 1… This story is in no way mine. The basic outline is by Rumiko Takahashi (Yes, the one who wrote Ranma ½, Inu-Yasha and Maison Ikkoku). I merely took the gundam boys and stuck them in it. I have added a few things but not much. If you would like the original then read "Mermaid's Scar" by Rumiko Takahashi.

Hope you like it ^_^

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Mermaid's Curse

"Unh," Heero groaned coming around. The metal floor was so cold.

"Awake are you?" the old man growled.

"Wufei," Heero said looking up at him. "What are you doing?"

"Baka!" Wufei yelled pulling on the handcuffs that bound him. "Thanks to you, they caught me too."

Heero looked to his own wrists to see that he too had been chained. "Where…are we?"

"On some construction site, from the looks of it," he replied curtly.

"Heero," came a voice as two men entered the shed. "I can't bare having you under the same roof as Quatre, not for one second." An old man towered over Heero, his hair blocking half of his face and his green eyes blazing. He leaned on his cane looking at Heero.

He looked up and back to the man.

"Trowa," Wufei gasped. "What on Earth are you-"

"Trowa..," Heero repeated the name.

"Heero," the old man said looking down upon him. "You're to blame for everything. What business do you have coming back here after all these years?"

"Why you!" Heero yelled. "What have you done with Duo? What did you do to Quatre?"

Trowa glared at his prisoner. "What did I do? Quatre…Quatre died because of you!" he yelled smacking Heero hard with his cane.

"Di-died?" Heero stammered as he rubbed his jaw and looking to the green-eyed man.

Trowa fell to his knees and braced himself against his cane. "Poor Quatre," he sobbed. "Poor Quatre."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Quatre walked down the stairs slowly.

"What do you think you are doing?" he could hear the boy demand.

"We're going to give you a good time before you die," a thug explained.

Noises of struggling could be heard from a room not too far off.

"Keep your filthy hands _off me!"_

"Hold still, brat!"

Quatre walked into the room and raised the knife in his hand. With one clan stroke he brought it down upon the thug's back.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"You said Quatre died?" Heero demanded.

"I don't understand," Wufei shouted. "Then who is _that_ Master Quatre?"

"Wufei," Heero said. "Did Quatre tell you the legend of the mermaid's ashes?"

"You mean the nun?" he asked. "That repaid a kindness with mermaid's ashes to help trees and plants grow?"

Heero nodded. "Yes, but there's another version. A gruesome legend of the ashes."

"Another legend?" Wufei asked.

Trowa looked up to them, listening.

Heero nodded again and began to tell the story, "The nun spent the night in one of the village homes, but the master of the house killed her and stole the ashes. Some of the ashes however remained on the corpse of the nun. The nun came back to life and crawled out of her grave. She looked exactly as she had in life but inside she had become a demon without a soul, and went through the village killing everyone she met."

"Stop it!" Wufei cried. "You expect me to believe such a ridiculous story? Quatre was so kind. He could never become a soulless demon."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Quatre stood ready to pounce again. Blood dripped down his hand and along the blade. Red splattered the floor.

"You saved me?" Duo asked.

Quatre turned to the boy, lowering the knife. "I made a promise," he said. "Red Valley…"

Duo looked into his intense blue eyes.

Quatre turned smoothly and headed out. "I have to meet Heero in Red Valley."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A man came into the shed and whispered something to Trowa.

"Find him before dawn," was his response. "Do not harm him in anyway."

"And the boy?" he asked.

"Use your own judgement."

"Yes, sir!" he replied and swiftly left.

'Duo and Quatre have escaped?' Heero pondered.

"This won't do," Trowa said looking out the window. "Quatre still isn't accustomed to the outside world."

'Where?'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Quatre walked out of the house and into the darkness of the night.

Duo was not far down as they followed the street. 'If I follow this man I'll find Heero,' Duo thought. 'In Read Valley…'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Told you it was shorter…_a lot shorter!_

Next one's probably the same length ^_~ 


	3. Bird's Cry

Same disclaimer stuff as before in chapters 1+2… This story is in no way mine. The basic outline is by Rumiko Takahashi (Yes, the one who wrote Ranma ½, Inu-Yasha and Maison Ikkoku). I merely took the gundam boys and stuck them in it. I have added a few things but not much. If you would like the original then read "Mermaid's Scar" by Rumiko Takahashi.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Mermaid's Curse

"The mermaid's ashes," Wufei gasped. "Now I see, Trowa. You wanted to mermaid's ashes, didn't you? The real reason you bought up all that land was so you could find the ashes and bring Master Quatre back to life."

Trowa smiled looking up at the ceiling. "He was beautiful," he said. "Several years after Quatre passed away I found him in a field of red flowers. He looked exactly as if he was alive. Quatre's body was even more stunningly beautiful than when he had been alive."

'Quatre,' Heero thought as he looked to the floor. 'What happened in Red Valley?' The blonde's voice rang in his mind, 'Take me with you…promise. I'll be waiting in Red Valley. I wish I could live forever, too. I want to go with you, Heero.'

"Well, then," Trowa said turning to leave, his cane clunking the floor as he walked. "I must be getting back. I'm concerned about Quatre." He turned to the thug who had come with him. "I'll leave the rest to you," he said. "The young one in particular. Please cut his head off, otherwise he'll come back to life."

Heero stared at the old man in disbelief.

"Y-you mean to-" Wufei stammered.

"Of course," Trowa returned. "I must, in order to protect Quatre."

"Why you son of a-!" Heero screamed charging at him but was cut short by a swift blow to the stomach by the thug's knee.

The thug started a chainsaw that was in the shed and knocked Heero over. He then put his foot of Heero's back to keep him from moving. The saw came down and Heero felt excruciating pain in his neck but he would hot call out.

Wufei grabbed the closest idem he could find, a pole. He ran up to the thug and slammed him over the head with it. "Stop!" he ordered.

He paused a moment to look over and see whom had hit him. With one powerful punch to Wufei's chest he sent him flying into a cabinet.

"Ungh," Wufei groaned.

Heero wasted no time and tried to crawl to the window. The thug was gaining and he knew it.

The lackey grabbed Heero by the head and lifted him up. With the other hand he raised the saw to Heero's neck.

"H-Heero!" Wufei called out. "No!" He came running up rammed his elbow squarely in the thug's back. The force sent them forward and Heero's feet crashed through the window.

The saw came down and into Heero's shoulder. He grabbed hold of the lackey's arm and as he went through the window he placed his feet on the wall outside. With all his strength he pulled the man out through the window but went tumbling down after him.

"Heero-o-o-o!" Wufei yelled running to the window ledge.

Heero landed in an awful heap at the bottom. Everything in his body hurt. He struggled to rise.

"Heero!" Wufei yelled. "Are you alive?"

"I…I haven't got the time to kick the bucket right now," he groaned. 'I've got to find them before Trowa does. Duo's in danger.'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

A dog barked in the distance. Sounds of men's footsteps could be heard behind them.

"They've come after us!" Duo hissed. "Hurry!"

"There!" a man shouted.

"This is the wrong way," Quatre protested. "Red Valley…I have to go back." He turned to go the other way, straight into the ones who pursued them.

Duo turned and saw a trash can. With a powerful kick he knocked it over to block the men. "If we're caught, you won't be able to meet Heero!" Duo shouted grabbing the blonde's hand and pulling him forward. "Baka!"

"I told him I'd be waiting in Red Valley. I promised Heero."

"Yes, so you keep saying," Duo said pulling him farther.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"That day Quatre went into Red Valley to meet me," Heero said. 'Quatre dies because of you!' returned from his memory. 'He said he's be waiting for you in Red Valley.' He sighed. "If I had gone to Red Valley…"

"If you couldn't meet him then why did you signal that you would?" Wufei asked.

"What?" Heero turned to the grim man driving the car.

"You know. The signal you and Master Quatre used to use," Wufei said. "You put three stones behind the roadside guardian. When you could meet you would remove the middle stone. When you couldn't, you'd leave it there." He sighed. "I remember clearly. Master Quatre said you had made a promise."

"I-I didn't move the stone," he stumbled. "Which means someone else…"

"It was a small village," the oriental man confessed. "It's possible someone else knew your signal."

'So Quatre believed the phony signal,' Heero thought. 'And went to Red Valley?'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Duo pushed Quatre into the crowd at the mall. They rushed past a mirror and Quatre stopped, his feet rooted in the spot.

"What is it now?" Duo demanded.

Quatre stood looking at himself and then pulled a necklace from the shelf. "It's pretty," he said. "I wonder if Heero will like it?"

Duo glared at the blonde. "Let's go!" he stormed and pulled Quatre along.

"Ah!" the salesclerk called. "Gentlemen!"

Duo looked behind him to the two men who were searching for them. "Those men will pay," he said to the saleslady.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Ah!" Quatre called climbing up the path. "It's this way. I know these hills."

"Red Valley?" Duo asked.

"Just a little further." The birds cried and screeched above and Quatre fell to his knees, shaking.

"What is it?" Duo asked looking back.

The blonde covered his ears, still shaking. He rocked himself back and forth as his eyes widened with fear.

"You're afraid?" Duo pulled the blue eyed boy close to him. "They're just birds."

"Quatre," came the voice of Trowa as he climbed the path towards the two boys. "I can't believe my eyes. To think you would actually come here."

"The old man!" Duo hissed.

"Let's go home, Quatre," he said. "You can't survive in the outside world."

"M-Mr. Barton!" the man beside him yelled. "You mustn't! The young master looses control of himself when he hears the birds crying."

Trowa turned to him. "He would never harm me." He turned back to the boys. "Now, then, Quatre," he said extending his hand.

Fire in his eyes, Quatre stood quickly, grabbing a large rock and bashing it over the green-eyed man's head.

Trowa fell to the ground from the blow and looked up at his beloved in disbelief. Blood dribbled down his face and into his dimmed green eyes.

"M-Mr. Barton!" his lackey cried.

"Q-Quatre," he stammered. "How could you? It was I who brought you back with the ashes!"

Quatre turned and hurried down the path.

Duo headed after him, looking back only once.

"What are you waiting for?" Trowa asked looking away.

"Sir?" inquired the man.

"Dispose of them."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Getting more interesting?

Next chapter's the last ….*tear*


	4. Dream's End

Same disclaimer stuff as before in chapters 1+2+3… This story is in no way mine. The basic outline is by Rumiko Takahashi (Yes, the one who wrote Ranma ½, Inu-Yasha and Maison Ikkoku). I merely took the gundam boys and stuck them in it. I have added a few things but not much. If you would like the original then read "Mermaid's Scar" by Rumiko Takahashi.

It's all done. I wish it could have gone on forever…*starts to cry* Sorry, I get all emotional when ever I finish something…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Mermaid's Curse

"If it wasn't you," Wufei said as he road the back of Heero since he would not be able to keep up otherwise. "Then who was it who moved the stone?"

Heero grunted. "Probably that bastard, Trowa, don't you think?"

Wufei nodded. "That's what I thought at first, too but that doesn't make sense."

He raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"Well, Master Quatre was planning to run away with you. If you had moved the stone I can imagine him putting it back to keep him from going but why would he go to the trouble of calling him out? You were going to leave the village alone anyway. He could have just left it there."

"Let me go!" Duo's voice split through the forest.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Duo bit into the lackey's hand as he pinned Duo to the ground.

"Yeouch!" he yelled pulling his hand away. "Why you little-!" He punched the violet-eyed boy hard across the face.

Quatre watched frightened.

"You go on ahead," Duo called to him. "Go to Red Valley."

Quatre got up and looked back, reluctant to go.

"Go!" he ordered.

"Heero," Quatre breathed his name aloud as he headed for his secret place, Red Valley.

Behind, Trowa pulled a dagger out of his cane. It had been crafted to hold such a weapon unnoticed. He came up and jabbed the blade into Quatre's shoulder.

Quatre turned around terrified.

Duo looked up and over to them.

"Quatre," Trowa sobbed as the blonde staggered onward. "Quatre…"

"You filthy old bastard!" Duo shouted getting up but was forced back down.

"Cut off his head," Trowa ordered slumping to the ground.

The switchblade came down and cut into Duo's flesh.

Thunk! A rock came flying and rammed into the lackey's head, killing him.

Duo looked up. "Heero!" he shouted standing.

"Duo!" Heero said running up to him and wrapping his arms around the American. He then turned to Trowa, still holding Duo.

"You're alive," Trowa gasped.

"Trowa, it was you, wasn't it?" Heero accused. "You were the one who called Quatre out to Red Valley that day."

~~~~~Flashback~~~~~

"Quatre," said a voice from behind. "Heero isn't coming."

The blonde turned to see a young green-eyed man. "Trowa…? You followed me..."

"Quatre, to think you would come," he said walking closer. "To think you would really come."

"What's this all about?" the blonde demanded.

"I was the one who moved the signal stone," Trowa admitted. " I wanted to believe you wouldn't come."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Quatre stumbled through the forest as pain ran through his body. 'Red Valley…Heero…'

~~~~~Flashback~~~~~

"If you want to leave the village," Trowa stormed as his hands gripped Quatre's throat. "I'll take you!" He squeezed, knocking the blonde back.

"Stop it!" Quatre screamed with the last of his breath. "Trowa, stop it!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

'Red Valley,' Quatre repeated in his mind.

Above the birds crowed and circled the blue-eyed blonde.

He looked up into the morning sky. 'I remember! I-I was killed that day..." Quatre fell to his knees, covering his ears. 'Heero didn't come. I was killed here.'

"Heero didn't come!" he screamed aloud.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Did you plan to kill him?" Wufei demanded looking at Trowa. "Did you call out Master Quatre with the intention of killing him?"

Trowa sighed. "Of course not. If Quatre had shown even the slightest regret that day…but it way okay. I'd bring him back with the mermaid's ashes."

"But you didn't find the ashes, did you?" Heero stormed. "Just for fun, Quatre scattered some of the ashes in that field of flowers and they bloomed out of control all year long…"

~~~~~Flashback~~~~~

"That was dangerous!" Heero had stormed. "Humans should never use anything that comes from a mermaid!"

"Really?" Quatre asked raising a hand to his lips. "Well, if you say so, Heero. I'll hide the ashes without telling father."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"I was certain the ashes were in the storehouse," Trowa continued his story. "But when I looked, they were gone. Frankly, I panicked. I mean without the ashes I'd be a murderer."

"Trowa," Heero growled as Duo glared at the old man. "Didn't you know about the other legend of the mermaid's ashes?"

Trowa sighed. "Yes, I knew." He looked up to them. "But without a soul he'd be mine to do with as I please, right?"

"Why you-!" Heero growled clenching his hands into fists.

"Those years were hard," he continued looking to the ground again. " Until I was able to buy all that land and find the ashes I never felt a peace for even a single day, and then two years ago I found the mermaid's ashes buried in the hills. Quatre's body, which I had buried in the field of flowers, had remained perfectly preserved. I can't tell you how beautiful he was. But I had been wrong. That wasn't Quatre. It was nothing but a soulless demon."

"That's not true!" Duo shouted.

"Duo," Heero said.

"He remembers Heero! He said he had made a promise!"

"Duo," he repeated.

"He's waiting for Heero in Red Valley," Duo said looking out to the field.

Quatre stood in the middle of the flowers looking up at the birds. In his right hand he held Trowa's dagger, blood dripping from it's tip.

Heero looked to him sadly.

"You might be killed," Wufei protested.

"That's all right," Duo said. "He'll just come back to life again."

"What's the point in meeting him?" Trowa asked from his spot. "That man has no soul."

Heero walked out into the sea of red. "Quatre…"

The blonde turned fast on him and lifted the dagger with both hands ready to strike.

"If only I had come to Red Valley that day," he said reaching around Quatre's waist, ducking under his arms. "Forgive me."

The blade slipped from Quatre's bloody hands and he held onto the brunet. "Heero…oh, thank goodness," he said with a bright smile. "I was having the most horrible dream."

Heero looked at him in surprise. His old Quatre was back. "Quatre…"

"You didn't come and then-" He hugged Heero tightly. "Thank goodness it was a dream."

"Is that so?" Heero asked. "Let's go Quatre. Let's leave the village together."

Quatre looked up to him, his bright blue eyes sparkling. 

'Do you know what happened to the nun after she came back to life, Heero?' Quatre's tale repeated itself in Heero's mind. 'The villagers became terrified of her and she ran into the hills. After a few years the effect of the ashes wore off…'

Quatre suddenly became limp in Heero's arms. 

'…and she turned back into a corpse.'

Heero held Quatre's lifeless body close to him as tears ran silently down his cheeks. "Quatre…I couldn't live with you…or die with you…"

I wish I could live forever, too.

I want to go with you, Heero.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

*starts to cry uncontrollably* That part always gets to me. *sniff* It's so sad and *sniff* sappy. I always liked *sniff* that couple. *sniff* I'm okay now.

How was it?

If you like it a lot I might just do a sequel ^_^


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